Craig's Recipe-Ribs

I know that the Dinosaur BBQ outpost in Harlem boasts boatloads of passionate pig partisans.  One of them, a friend from Chicago, took me there the other night.  “You’ll love it,” she said.  “It’s great barbecue.”

Sorry.  No sale.  I’ve traveled through much of the South, and this, folks, is no BBQ.  I know NYC thinks of itself as one of the nation’s great centers of ‘cue, but you need to head south to get the real stuff.  (For succulent pork, travel to Mr. B’s in White Post Virginia, just two short hours from DC, where you’ll find finger lickin’ great ‘cue and the best sweet potato pie anywhere.)

The pulled pork piled onto my sandwich at Dinosaur tasted like someone in the kitchen was still yanking on the poor pig who produced this mediocre fare.  The meat was tough, rubbery and tasteless.  Accompanied by watery over-sweet greens, the platter was a keen disappointment.  A huge salad with candied walnuts tasted OK, but a chunk of cornbread failed to measure up to the muffins dished out by any corner coffee wagon guy.

Service was barely passable.  I had to ask my waiter to refill my glass four times before it was finally refreshed.  As for the noise level, it was high, but that’s to be expected in a ‘cue joint.

Related: Dinosaur BBQ: A Second Bite

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With subway tile on the walls and a simple counter that seats six, Porchetta is mostly a take-out place. But if you eat there, like I did, it’s a fabulous sensory experience. The aroma of the succulent pork roast (pork belly is wrapped around the loin and roasted for five-and-a-half hours) is divine.

Served on a crusty roll, the sandwich is delicious, (some say it’s too pricey) but quite fatty. Half a sandwich was plenty for me. The server did suggest cutting the richness with a side of greens. That probably would have been a good idea.

Sarah Jenkins, the chef, discovered porchetta in Italy. Explains Serious Eats, porchetta “is a crazy delicious whole boned and roasted pig seasoned with lots of salt, pepper, garlic, and wild fennel.”

Other items on nine-item menu include a mozzarella sandwich for any vegetarians who wander in, cooking greens, and crispy potatoes and burnt ends.

If you really want one of these sensational sandwiches, don’t wait until late in the day. When the pork roast is gone, it’s gone.

Related posts:

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3. Mr B’s Barbecue: Best Pulled Pork Sandwich at White Post VA ‘Cue Joint